Albert Joseph Brown III (born June 4, 1968), known professionally as Al B. Sure!, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, radio host and former record executive. He was born in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
and raised in
Mount Vernon, New York. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Brown was one of
new jack swing's most popular romantic singers, songwriters and record producers.
Early life and music career
Brown is the son of Albert Joseph Brown II, a nuclear medical technician, and Cassandra Brown, an accountant.
Brown was a star football quarterback at
Mount Vernon High School Mount Vernon High School could refer to:
*Mount Vernon High School (Arkansas) — Mount Vernon, Arkansas
* Mount Vernon High School (Illinois) — Mount Vernon, Illinois
*Mount Vernon High School (Fortville, Indiana)
* Mount Vernon High Sch ...
in New York, who rejected an athletic scholarship to the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
to pursue a music career.
In 1987,
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
selected Brown as the first winner of the Sony Innovators Talent Search. He went on to work with Jones on several projects, most notably the platinum 1990 single "
The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)
"The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)" is a song by Quincy Jones, featuring American R&B singers Al B. Sure!, James Ingram, El DeBarge, and Barry White. It was released as a single from Jones's album, '' Back on the Block'' (1989), and peake ...
" from Jones' double-platinum-certified album ''
Back on the Block
''Back on the Block'' is a 1989 studio album produced by Quincy Jones. The album features legendary musicians and singers from across three generations, including Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul, Ice-T, Big Daddy Kane, Sarah Vaugh ...
''. On this recording, Brown was one of a quartet with
Barry White
Barry Eugene Carter (September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003), better known by his stage name Barry White, was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came ...
,
El DeBarge
Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge (born June 4, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He was the focal point and primary lead singer of the family group DeBarge. Popular songs led by El DeBarge include " Time Will Reveal", " Who's Hold ...
, and
James Ingram
James Edward Ingram (February 16, 1952 – January 29, 2019) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He was a two-time Grammy Award-winner and a two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Original Song. After beginning his career ...
.
Brown's 1988 debut album ''
In Effect Mode
''In Effect Mode'' is the debut album by Al B. Sure!. It was released on May 3, 1988 on Uptown Records with distribution handled by Warner Bros. Records. It was one of two albums by Sure! that was released under Uptown that were not issued under i ...
'' sold more than three million copies, topping the ''
Billboard''
R&B chart for seven straight weeks. It included the single "
Nite and Day
"Nite and Day" is the debut single by Al B. Sure! from his debut album ''In Effect Mode'' (1988). It reached number seven on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot Black Singles chart. The B-side of the record is the ...
," which topped the R&B chart and reached No. 7 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, and "
Off on Your Own (Girl)", which also top the R&B chart.
He received numerous
Grammy and
American Music Award
The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produ ...
(AMA) nominations, and won an AMA for Best New R&B Artist. He also received several
Soul Train Award
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of '' Soul Train'', the ...
nominations, and won the award for Best New Artist. Brown also won several New York Music Awards. In addition, his 1–900 phone line was third in generating revenue, following those for
New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block (also initialized as NKOTB) is an American boy band from Dorchester, Massachusetts. The band consists of brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. New Kids on the Block enjoy ...
and
Run-D.M.C.
Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of ...
As a writer and producer, Brown introduced to the music industry such multi-platinum acts as
Jodeci
Jodeci ( ) is an American R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci, and JoJo. Formed in 1989 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci's members began their musical careers as two duos of brothers and, after years of limi ...
and teen R&B performer
Tevin Campbell
Tevin Jermod Campbell (born November 12, 1976) is an American singer and songwriter. He performed gospel in his local church from an early age. Following an audition for jazz musician Bobbi Humphrey in 1988, Campbell was signed to Warner Bros. Re ...
(who was also one of
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...
's and Quincy Jones' former protégés), as well as
Faith Evans
Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American singer and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 for a career in the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al ...
,
Dave Hollister
David Le Chaine Hollister (born August 17, 1968) is an American R&B singer who found fame during the 1990s as one quarter of the R&B quartet Blackstreet, before going on to have a solo career. Hollister is best known for his 2000 gold-certifie ...
,
Case and
Usher.
In 2009, Brown signed with
Hidden Beach Recordings
Hidden Beach is an American independent record label known for R&B, soul, inspirational and contemporary jazz genres. Hidden Beach was formed in 1998 by Steven McKeever and holds a distribution deal with Universal Music Group.
History
Steven ...
. His first single for the label, "I Love It (Papi Aye, Aye, Aye)," entered the
Radio & Records Urban AC chart at No. 33. The album ''
Honey, I'm Home
"Honey, I'm Home" is a song co-written and recorded by Canadian country music artist Shania Twain. It was released in August 1998 as the sixth single from her album '' Come On Over'', and the fifth to country radio. The song was written by Twain a ...
'' was released on June 23, 2009.
Other work
In 1991, Brown co-starred with
Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald LawrenceStated in interview on ''Inside the Actors Studio'' (born April 16, 1965) is an American comedian and actor. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor. He got his start playin ...
in a television pilot titled ''Private Times''.
In 2000, Brown's ABS Entertainment launched a television development division, and he served as co-executive producer of an
HBO Comedy Special starring
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film ''Ray'', for which he won the A ...
, filmed at the
Paramount Theater in
Oakland, California. Then, Brown teamed with the
ABC Radio Network
Cumulus Media Networks was an American radio network owned and operated by Cumulus Media. From 2011 until its merger with Westwood One, it controlled many of the radio assets formerly belonging to the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), which ...
to produce and host a romantically themed nighttime music program, ''The Secret Garden'', featuring a blend of music and celebrity guests.
Brown participated in Bless the Children Foundation's celebrity auction along with
NFL stars
Charles Woodson and
Anthony Dorsett. He was presented with the key to the city of Oakland by city council member Laurence E. Reid in recognition of the participation of Brown's ABS Ken-Struk-Shen in refurbishing parts of the city. Reid proclaimed October 19 Al B. Sure! Day. Brown was a DJ on the Los Angeles radio station
KHHT, and played old-school hip hop and R&B. He currently hosts a daily morning-radio show on iHeart Radio.
In July 2019, Brown became the new host of
Urban One
Urban One, Inc. (formerly Radio One) is a Silver Spring, Maryland-based American media conglomerate. Founded in 1980 by Cathy Hughes, the company primarily operates media properties targeting African Americans. It is the largest African-American- ...
's nationally syndicated evening
quiet storm
Quiet storm is a radio format and genre of R&B, performed in a smooth, romantic, jazz-influenced style. It was named after the title song on Smokey Robinson's 1975 album '' A Quiet Storm''.
The radio format was pioneered in 1976 by Melvin Li ...
/slow jams program ''Love and R&B'', replacing the previous host, John Monds. The show, syndicated through Urban One subsidiary Reach Media and based in
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, Texas, is heard on
urban adult contemporary
Urban adult contemporary, often abbreviated as urban AC or UAC, (also known as adult R&B,) is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have hip hop music ...
format radio stations such as
WZAK in Cleveland,
WMMJ
WMMJ (102.3 FM), known on air as "Majic 102.3 & 92.7," is a jammin' oldies-leaning urban adult contemporary radio station owned by Radio One in the Washington, D.C. market. It is co-owned with WKYS, WOL, WPRS-FM, WTEM and WYCB and has studio ...
in Washington,
KZMJ
KZMJ (94.5 FM) is a radio station serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in Texas. The station airs an urban adult contemporary format. The station is licensed to Gainesville and is owned by Urban One. Co-owned with KBFB and Reach Media, it ...
in Dallas, and
WDMK
WDMK; (105.9 FM, "105.9 Kiss-FM") is a commercial FM radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Owned by Beasley Broadcast Group, it broadcasts an urban adult contemporary format. The studios and offices are on Radio Plaza in Ferndale.
The station b ...
in Detroit among others.
In 2010, Brown appeared as one of the 12 contestants on the
TV One reality television
dating game show
Dating game shows are game shows that incorporates a variety of matchmaking systems and services in the form of a game with clear rules. Human matchmaking is involved only in selecting the game's contestants, who are usually selected more for the ...
''
The Ultimate Merger
''Donald J. Trump Presents The Ultimate Merger'' is an American reality television dating game show. A spin-off of '' The Apprentice'', the series premiered on TV One on June 17, 2010. The series' first season starred Omarosa, who in 2004 appe ...
''. The series was produced by
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
and starred former ''
Apprentice
Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...
'' contestant
Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth
Omarosa Onee Manigault Newman () ( Manigault; born 1974), often known as Omarosa, is an American reality television show participant, writer, and former political aide to former US President Donald Trump. She became widely known as a contestant ...
, whom Brown dated previously.
Personal life
Al B. Sure! has three sons.
His eldest son Albert Joseph Brown IV, also known as Al B Sure Jr, was featured on the MTV series ''
Rock the Cradle
''Rock the Cradle'' is an MTV reality show in which the offspring of R&B, pop, and rock stars from the 1980s and 1990s vie in a six-week singing competition. The show debuted on April 3, 2008, and ended on May 8 of the same year.
Personnel
...
''.
His second son Devin Brown is a hip hop singer and goes by the name of Devin LOUD.
In 1991 he had a son, Quincy Brown by Kim Porter.
Quincy was named after the musician who mentored Al B. Sure! Quincy Jones. In that same year, he co-wrote a song called "
Forever My Lady
''Forever My Lady'' is the debut studio album by American R&B quartet Jodeci, released May 28, 1991, by Uptown Records and MCA Records.
Background
The album's production and composition was largely attributed to DeVante Swing, who worked along ...
" in honor of Kim and his son. The song was performed by
Jodeci
Jodeci ( ) is an American R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci, and JoJo. Formed in 1989 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci's members began their musical careers as two duos of brothers and, after years of limi ...
and produced by Al B. Sure! and Jodeci-member
DeVante Swing
Donald Earle DeGrate Jr. (born September 29, 1969), better known by his stage name DeVanté Swing, is an American record producer, singer, rapper and songwriter.
He is the older brother of fellow Jodeci member Dalvin DeGrate.
Career
In his ea ...
.
Discography
Studio albums
Compilation albums
Singles
Featured singles
Writing & Producing Credits
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Al B. Sure!
1968 births
Living people
American actors
Warner Records artists
African-American radio personalities
African-American record producers
African-American songwriters
American radio personalities
American rhythm and blues keyboardists
American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters
Record producers from Massachusetts
American soul singers
New jack swing musicians
Participants in American reality television series
Musicians from Boston
People from Leonia, New Jersey
Singer-songwriters from New Jersey
American contemporary R&B singers
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American people
American male singer-songwriters
Singer-songwriters from Massachusetts
Mount Vernon High School (New York) alumni